I am currently brewing my second batch and decided to make the caribou brown slager. When making my yeast starter I did not boil the malt extract before adding my yeast. I just added yeast, nutrient pack included with live yeast, and the malt extract directly from the bottle. Should I continue with the process or is it doomed?
Thanks,
Patrick
This is base on NO scientific facts:
You are probably fine. I base that on the fact that the LME is a super concentrated sugar mass. Much like honey. You can let honey sit around for ever and nothing will grow in it. Many (my self included) have made Meads with out boiling the honey/water mixture. We may heat the water and/or honey to get it to mix better. But we try to keep the temps down to preserve the flavor/aroma of the honey.
I would not make a practice on not boiling the starter wort, just for ~5 minutes.
Take a sniff or taste the wort when the yeast is done. If possible, taste it also. Of course with out hops it may not be something you drink a lot of. But you should be able to discern if it’s really bad.
If a HB store is near by, be prepared to get some new yeast. If there is no store near by, I would not start brewing until I have a reasonable idea that the yeast is good. Unless you have some dry yeast on hand.
Malt extract is boiled in the manufacturing process so you are probably okay, but a taste and sniff of the starter before using it is in order, just in case.
You probably wouldn’t be able to tell if it is infected at this point in your brewing career (don’t take offense - none intended). Starters don’t taste like beer and smells are often deceiving. I would give it a go, regardless, :cheers: and see what happens. Next time boil the DME. Good luck with your beer.
Is this diluted extract, or concentrated? I would be concerned about stress on the yeast in a very high gravity starter.
